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Site-specific management of crops represents an important improvement in terms of efficiency and efficacy of the different labours, and its implementation has experienced a large development in the last decades, especially for field crops. The particular case of the spray application process for what are called “specialty crops” (vineyard, orchard fruits, citrus, olive trees, etc.) represents one of the most controversial and influential actions directly related with economical, technical, and environmental aspects. This study was conducted with the main objective to find possible correlations between data obtained from remote sensing technology and the actual canopy characteristics. The potential correlation will be the starting point to develop a variable rate application technology based on prescription maps previously developed. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a multispectral camera was used to obtain data to build a canopy vigour map of an entire parcel. By applying the specific software DOSAVIÑA®, the canopy map was then transformed into a practical prescription map, which was uploaded into the dedicated software embedded in the sprayer. Adding to this information precise georeferenced placement of the sprayer, the system was able to modify the working parameters (pressure) in real time in order to follow the prescription map. The results indicate that site-specific management for spray application in vineyards result in a 45% reduction of application rate when compared with conventional spray application. This fact leads to a equivalent reduction of the amount of pesticide when concentration is maintained constant, showing once more that new technologies can help to achieve the goal of the European legislative network of safe use of pesticides.

New spraying systems embedded with different technologies have been developed for pesticide application in 3D crops. However, while applied to specific tree crops, the potential spray drift mitigation for advanced spraying systems needs to be classified due to the great variability of spray equipment and canopy structure. Here a precision spraying system was developed and compared with two typical spraying systems (conventional system, optimized system following the best management practices) for the applied volume/pesticide and spray drift in an apple orchard at two growth stages following the ISO22866-2005 protocol. Compared to the conventional system, the other two advanced systems significantly reduced the amount of ground drift (> 60%) at most of the sampling distances at the growth stage BBCH 72, while the precision system demonstrated the best drift mitigation (57.3% reduction) at the stage BBCH 99. For the airborne drift, a remarkable drift reduction was also achieved with the two advanced systems. Specifically, the optimized spraying system exhibited a drift reduction by approximately 80% at the first growth stage, and the precision application demonstrated its considerable advantages in minimizing drift loss for the sparse canopy at the stage BBCH 99. Moreover, the saving of applied volume/pesticide was achieved by 12% with the optimized system and 43% with the precision system. This study revealed the necessity and prospect of the advanced spraying systems to reduce the environmental contamination and health risk from pesticide applications in fruit tree production.

An orchard sprayer prototype running a variable-rate algorithm to adapt the spray volume to the canopy characteristics (dimensions, shape and leaf density) in real-time was designed and implemented. The developed machine was able to modify the application rate by using an algorithm based on the tree row volume, in combination with a newly coefficient defined as Density Factor (Df). Variations in the canopy characteristics along the row crop were electronically measured using six ultrasonic sensors (three per sprayer side). These differences in foliage structure were used to adjust the flow rate of the nozzles by merging the ultrasonic sensors data and the forward speed information received from the on-board GNSS. A set of motor-valves was used to regulate the final amount of sprayed liquid. Laboratory and field tests using artificial canopy were arranged to calibrate and select the optimal ultrasonic sensor configuration (width beam and signal pre-processing method) that best described the physical canopy properties. Results indicated that the sensor setup with a medium beam width offered the most appropriate characterization of trees in terms of width and Df. The experimental sprayer was also able to calculate the application rate automatically depending on changes on target trees. In general, the motor valves demonstrated adequate capability to supply and control the required liquid pressure at all times, mainly when spraying in a range between 4.0 and 14.0 MPa. Further work is required on the equipment, such as designing field efficiency tests for the sprayer or refining the accuracy of Df.

Thanks are given to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for funding the AGL2013-49040- C2-1-R project, to the Ministry of Science and Innovation from the Spanish Government for funding the AGL2017-89785-R, and to the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). MC,JA, and PL-A acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the “Severo Ochoa” program for Centers of Excellence in R&D (SEV-2015-0522), from Fundació Privada Cellex, Fundación Mig-Puig and from Generalitat de Catalunya through the CERCA program and Laser lab Europe through the research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 654148

Dysphagia affects a person's ability to swallow, and it causes health problems by directly limiting nutritional intake, being the elderly the most at-risk group and also likely to be deficient in nutrition. Diets for patients with dysphagia require textural modifications to offer soft and safe food to swallow. Puree is easily consumed by the elderly, being an alternative food preparation providing essential nutrition for people with dysphagia. In this study, we aimed to create different formulations with soy protein and agar added to potato puree to add nutritional value and end up with printable material by designing food for the elderly and people with dysphagia. Some enriched potato puree formulations were obtained by adding soy protein (3%, 5%, and 7%) and up to 0.2% agar. The use of three-dimensional food printing allows visual customization with appeal benefits of nutritional food formulations for specific consumers. The rheology and texture profile analysis of the different formulations has been performed. According to International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) scales, the texture of all modified samples was suitable for people with swallowing difficulties. The samples with agar presented a better-printed shape and a more viscous-like behavior than the samples with soy protein. These findings highlight that soy protein could modify the texture and, from the nutritional point of view, add value to the formulations. The addition of 0.2% agar can establish good material for designing three-dimensional (3D)-printed food that allows the creation of textures in accordance with the needs of the elderly and people with dysphagia.

Due to their perceived benefits for health, the environment, the economy, and sustainability, in recent years there has been a growing interest on the part of researchers and policymakers in short-food supply chains (SFSCs). However, a systematic review of the literature on this topic remains lacking. To address this gap, the study conducts a meta-analysis to examine consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for SFSC products, taking into account various sociodemographic factors and sustainability attributes. On average, consumers are willing to pay a 34.5% premium for SFSC products. Key factors influencing WTP include gender, education, study year, age, region, product category, and sustainability attributes. Women exhibit higher WTP, and individuals with higher education levels also demonstrate increased WTP. Notably, WTP for SFSC products is lower before 2014, while younger consumers exhibit higher WTP overall. Consumers in Western Europe present higher WTP estimates compared to those in North America and other regions. In terms of sustainability attributes, organic products receive the highest WTP, with food categories such as meat, poultry, dairy products, and honey showing the highest estimates. These findings offer valuable insights for SFSC producers, marketers, and policymakers, guiding effective strategies to promote SFSC products within sustainable agri-food systems.

The interest in natural sources with high antioxidant powder has recently increased in several sectors. Ionic gelation methods could be used to protect bioactive substances to control the kinetics and release of these ingredients to the food matrix. This study dealt with the evaluation of the antioxidant capacity and scavenging activity of extracts of Hibiscus Sabdariffa L. (HSL) (with 50% ethanol) encapsulated in calcium alginate spheres as a new source for preserving food against oxidative damage. Their antioxidant activity was measured in different o/w emulsions in which HSL spheres reduced the formation of hydroperoxides (~80%) and thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substance products (~20%). The scavenging activity of HSL extracts was measured in different food simulants (water, water acidified with 3% acetic acid, ethanol at 50%, and pure ethanol), and corresponded to 0.20–0.43, 0.31–0.62, and 11.13–23.82 mmol Trolox/mL extract for Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays, respectively. In general, the best antiradical activity was observed in the ethanolic and acidified mediums, in which the highest concentration of released polyphenols ranged from 0.068 to 0.079 mg GAE/mL. This work indicates the potential of alginate spheres for encapsulating antioxidant compounds as an innovative strategy for several industrial applications.

UPC authors acknowledge funding from the R+D+i project AGL2017-89785-R, financed by MCIN and FEDER; and Fondo Social Europeo (PRE2018-084265, AF). ICFO authors acknowledge funding from Fundació CELLEX; Ministerio de Economı́ a y Competitividad - Severo Ochoa program for Centres of Excellence in R&D (CEX2019-000910-S); CERCA program and Laserlab-Europe (871124); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovació n (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033); and Fondo Social Europeo (PRE2020-095721, MC)

Rainfall–runoff events occurring in vineyard fields can result in pesticide ground losses and the subsequent pollution of surface water bodies, derivate from the crop protection spray applications. In this study, the capacity of vegetated buffer strips (BS) to prevent surface water pollution due to the application of five fungicide products typically used in vineyards (copper, dimethomorph, oxathiapiprolin, zoxamide, acibenzolar-s-methyl, and laminarin) following a simulated run-off event has been assessed, and compared to that from a bare ground soil (BG). Two strips (5 m in length, each), one with vegetation and the other without were built up, and two different experiments were performed, a runoff event and a soil fungicide degradation kinetic evaluation. The runoff results show that fungicide mass retention in the strips ranged from 73 to 98% and that the presence of vegetation in BS increased the fungicide mass retention in the strips by almost 10% (on average) in comparison to the unvegetated strip. Moreover, soil degradation studies highlighted that the presence of vegetation reduces significantly the half-time life of almost all the studied fungicides by 55%, on average. Eight fungicide transformation products (TPs) were identified following a runoff event in the soil strips, but the abundance of these TPs was up to 78% lower in vegetated strips. These results highlight the effectiveness of using vegetated buffer zones in vineyards to protect aquatic ecosystem pollution.

Consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental and health impacts of their food choices, leading to changes in consumption behavior. This study examines the consumption patterns and behaviors of European consumers regarding meat substitutes and identifies factors influencing their acceptance as alternative protein sources. The study involved 5000 participants from four European countries—France, Germany, Italy, and Spain with data extracted from the Mintel consumer database in 2024. Results indicate that over 50% of consumers in these countries have reduced their intake of red meat, with a notable portion of German consumers adhering to a vegan diet. Across the sample, females significantly differ from males, as they consume less meat, tend to limit their meat intake, and show a greater interest in reducing meat consumption. Baby Boomers predominantly consume more meat and show less interest in reducing their meat intake compared to younger generations. Economic and sustainability aspects are key perceptions driving the perceived benefits of reducing meat consumption. Additionally, preferences for locally sourced products, meat-like taste and texture, and natural ingredients are primary considerations when purchasing meat substitutes. Fish substitutes were rated as popular meat substitutes in France, Italy, and Spain, while breaded or battered meat/poultry substitutes were the most popular choice in Germany. Insights from this study are valuable for market researchers and the food industry, offering guidance on supplying appealing and sustainable protein alternatives that encourage a shift toward healthier and more sustainable consumption behavior.